Debbie Croft: Games, food, art, cowboy poetry

At the LaFayette Historical Lodge in La Grange tonight, the Odd Fellows will host a Cowboy Poetry and Dinner event. The menu includes barbecued beef loin, cowboy beans, salad and French bread. Tickets are $20 each and may be purchased at the La Grange Mercantile across from the lodge on Yosemite Boulevard.

"It's the first time we've done this," said Roberta Crum, whose husband, Ken, is Noble Grand of the La Grange Odd Fellows. "We're hoping it will become an annual event."

Dinner is from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with poetry to be recited afterwards. Local cowboy poets include Ed Brown from Madera, Tom Gookin from Oakdale, Jim and Karen Ross from Jamestown, and 15-year-old Dylan Marchetti from Catheys Valley.

The dinner is one of the many fundraisers held throughout the year to not only keep the lodge in good repair, but also to help needy children and individuals locally, nationally and around the world.

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Tickets cost $20 each, but seating is limited, so calling the Crums today would be a good idea for anyone interested in attending this evening's event. Also on the schedule is a raffle and silent auction. For more information, call Ken and Roberta Crum at (209) 853-2815.

Sunday morning, the Lake Don Pedro Fire Brigade Breakfast will be held in La Grange at 10217 Jalapa Way. Call Tina Sula at (209) 852-9910 for more details.

Another charitable event is the 11th Annual Soup and Game Day, "Trivial Pur-Soup" hosted by Xi Phi Upsilon in an effort to raise funds for breast cancer research. Mark your calendars for Jan. 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bootjack Stompers Hall across from the Mariposa County Fairgrounds on Highway 49, south of Mariposa. Tickets cost $10 each and include a soup luncheon at noon. There will be door prizes and a silent auction; for more details, call (209) 742-7889.

And for all budding artists, the Young Masters Art Competition is coming up soon. Original entries are due the week of Jan. 26-30, and entry forms may be picked up at the Mariposa County Arts Council, located at 5009 Fifth St. in Mariposa (open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or by visiting the Arts Council Web site at www.arts-mariposa.org/art-ed for a printable version.

Then at the Arts Council Gallery, the free exhibit of our young people's artwork will be held Feb. 4-27. For details about this popular event, call the gallery at (800) 903-9936 or (209) 966-3155, or e-mail Donna Brownell at info@arts-mariposa.org.

Debbie Croft writes about life in the foothill communities. She can be reached at composed@cwo.com.

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